Batman II: Beyond
by Darkknight37
Summary: With the aftermath of 'Meta', Batman must find a way to change the world back to the way it once had been. Rated 'R' for adult language, adult themes, and violence. Sequel to 'Batman: Meta'.
1. New World's Order

(AN) Holy crap, I started the follow-up!! I hope my first go at fanfic writing wasn't a complete waste of our time. I now offer you the next installment of my first fanfic.

I do not own the characters owned by DC Comics

  
BATMAN II: BEYOND

Chapter 1: New World's Order

Bruce Wayne, the man who would become the Batman. Fate had handed him the will and determination to train for the life of protecting the lives of innocents. He grew up believing that fate was something that did not exist, absolutely refusing to believe in it. He believed in making things work through choice, never willing to consider that he was not in control of his own life.

If fate had no hand in his current situation, he was forever doomed with horrid luck.

Standing on an unfamiliar platform that now rested in his cave, Batman did not move a muscle. The last thing he remembered was being captured by Slade in one of the giant ships hovering over Gotham. He remembered Slade incapacitating Diana and dropping her out of an opening in the ship. A sight that was more disturbing than he was willing to admit.

He remembers the ship reaching escape velocity and leaving earth's orbit, shooting past the Watchtower.

The next thing that comes to mind is waking up inside of the same ship, laying face first on the ground. Hearing that he was not alone inside, he played possum to find any information he could. It turned out that the ones inside the ship with him were a crew from a salvage ship that had made its rounds in the area.

Easily taking care of each crew member, Batman left the one ship and boarded the next to find answers. His answer had come in the form of the ship he was in being surrounded by two other ships, both of which designed after the ones that appeared over Gotham. Only this time, they bared the markings of both Wayne Defense and the United Nations of Mars.

At first, he thought he was hallucinating. On one of the monitors in the salvage ship, the date had shown that it was forty years into the future. With his firm belief in the impossible being possible, Batman came to the conclusion that he was indeed not hallucinating.

As his ship was being boarded, Batman checked his supplies in his utility belt. What he found was that only his batarang compartment was full, the others empty.

All but one compartment...

Batman retrieved a small device that looked like a prototype he had been developing. Knowing full well its function, he pressed the lone button.

After pressing the button, he suddenly found himself standing on this platform. The button activated a teleportation device that he had been in the middle of designing for sometime, yet never finishing the specifications. To his minimal amusement, Batman was happy to see that it worked.

He stepped off of the platform on to the steel grated steps, taking him to the main floor of the cave. Batman looked around finding that, for the most part; the cave had been kept as it were. However, he knew full well that it had been purposely kept up for his arrival.

A setup...

Batman walked to the open area directly between the main computer and his display of costumes. He stood directly in between them, looking at the costume display carefully. He noticed that the case with the shackles that Slade used to hold him captive were gone. In its place was a new case that displayed a brand new costume.

He began to lean towards it ready to walk, only to briskly turn and walk to the computer. Batman quickly positioned himself and sat down on the chair, ready to find some answers. He found that the keyboard was no longer in its place. In fact, all of the buttons were no longer there.

Batman studied the layout of the computer, trying to find any form of activating mechanism. He then remembered another of his many ideas.

"Computer, on..."

The screen suddenly sprang to life as the digital image of a bat silhouette appeared on screen. Batman leaned back in his chair, taking his usual position when his mind becomes more useful then the computer.

"Computer, last known activation period of main computer systems..."

The computer screen shot to life once again.

CHECKING...

LAST KNOWN ACTIVATION PERIOD APPROXIMATELY TEN YEARS, SEVEN MONTHS, FOURTEEN DAYS

Batman felt an uneasy chill run down his spine. The computer has not been accessed in over a decade.

"Computer, ID of last known user..."

CHECKING...

As the computer worked, Batman's mind was going at a speed that only he could describe as...

TERRENCE MCGINNIS

Batman had formed a full scowl just as the main screen switched to another image. A loading screen came up, Batman's attention fully applied. After the loading sequence, a recording began.

"_Hello Bruce, I trust that you've made it back safe and sound?"_

Batman listened as the image of Slade appeared on the screen

_"Do not bother to vocally respond to whatever I may say, this is a recording. By now, I presume to believe you know that this is not your original time. This is approximately forty-three years into the future you would have lived to see. In fact, as my traveling through the times has proven, one of many possible futures. You will find that the world you know has dramatically changed. Quite frankly, for the worse..._

_ "Inside the new display case, I have outfitted you with an updated version of your current costume. I would have left you mine, but the image that would give your comrades would prove to be detrimental to you. So I had decided to keep the old design with the upgrades of the new suit."_

Batman continued to stare intently at the screen.

_"If you'll notice the entrance to Wayne Manor no longer exists. The blast door is permanently closed, as well as the hangar and exit for your ground vehicles._

_ "There is much more you will need to know, but you must find those answers by yourself. I suggest you begin your search on Mars, the senate house to be exact. An important meeting with the heads of the Martian colonies will be held exactly nineteen hours from the time you were to be discovered by the salvage crew. The new hovercraft you designed was an excellent attempt to combine both ground and air travel with one vehicle. In fact, it was the very vehicle I used during my time as Batman. However, I have made the proper modifications to ensure its durability through space travel. Also installed is a working teleportation device that you also designed, with a modification or two of my own. _

_ "You will go undetected by the Martian fleet if you use the cloaking device. I suggest you also take the time to adjust to the new suit I designed for you. If I know you, you would want to make a few adjustments yourself. The blueprints are stored in the hard drive, along with the schematics for everything you will be using in this time. _

_"Good luck..."_

The recording ended as Batman sat quietly in his chair. He knew that he had to find the surviving League members if he was to get back to his original time. Slade practically told him where to find them.

Immediately he stood up and walked towards the display case. The closer he got to the new suit he noticed that it was no longer his traditional colors. This time the suit was a pitch black with only the physical design similar, and symbol on the chest was a fine silver. A perfect mix of his original and new suit

He opened the case, removing the suit with ease. It was strangely lightweight, even more then he had originally designed. Batman removed his glove and felt the fabric of the new suit with his bare hand. The material was far lighter then the one he currently wore. Even more than the new suit Slade had returned to the past with.

As his fingers inspected the suit some more, he began to notice he presence of wires and circuits sewn into the fabric. Obviously the same circuitry Batman used to create the new suit. The cape, however, felt exactly the same. Other than the lightweight material, he noticed that the design was fairly standard.

Batman removed his cowl, Bruce's face getting its first taste of cool air for the first time since he had awoken on that ship. He carried the new suit over to his usual work station to the left of the display case. He set the new suit on the table, beginning to remove his current suit.

Bruce knew what he had seen out there in space. Those men in the salvage team were definitely humans, and two of them he was certain had faint Gotham accents. So trying out this new suit was something he felt would show no immediate harm. If Slade wanted to kill him, he would have already. Bruce was also convinced that just before he was abducted, Slade was almost pleading with him.

Enough of a sign to Bruce that Slade wanted him alive.

Bruce removed the rest of his suit, noticing again that most of the body scars he once had been healed completely. He almost had forgotten what Slade had done to him. Bruce felt the anger begin to boil again as he recalled most of the events before he left.

Bruce calmed himself, focusing on the task at hand by applying the new suit. He slipped into the trousers easily, although they were not an exact fit. He noticed that the trousers were a one piece with the boots already attached to them.

"A little too big, McGinnis..." Bruce said to himself as he held up the over-hanging waist.

A small light began to flicker on the right side of the pants. As Bruce investigated, he noticed that a button was there. He smiled to himself for a brief moment before pushing it. The pants immediately shrank to a perfect fit as Bruce pressed the button. Bruce then lifted the top over his head, applying it to his torso. He noticed the gloves were already attached to the sleeves as the top automatically fit to his torso. Bruce figured it read the signal from the pants.

Bruce felt light as a feather with the new suit on, however he had yet to apply the cape and cowl. He noticed that the costume was more of a dark blue rather than black. The cape and cowl remaining black. Finally, he applied the last piece of the suit as it fit perfectly on him.

Text immediately appeared digitally in the lenses of cowl as Batman felt the slight tingle of the suit powering up.

RETINA SCAN REQUIRED

Batman was then treated to a small red light directly in both eyes.

IDENTITY CONFIRMED

POWERING DOWN FAILSAFE SYSTEM

BEGINNING FULL ACTIVATION...

CHECKING SYSTEM PROTOCOLS...

PRIMARY POWER SOURCE...CHECK

SECONDARY POWER SOURCE...CHECK

EMERGENCY POWER...ERROR

APPLY BELT TO CONFIRM EMERGENCY POWERSOURCE AND FULL SYSTEM ACTIVATION

Batman turned to the table to apply the final piece of the suit. The new belt was a light gray, again mixed design with his old belt and prototype. As he buckled the belt into place, the suit became fully operational. He memorized the functions that the prototype was to incorporate when he finished the original design of the new suit. However, the modifications that had been done left him with no choice but to run a complete test.

"Computer", Batman said standing by his work table. "Ready the training room. Run program one-zero-four-seven at sixty degrees celsius, precipitation at seventy-five percent."

The new suit was remotely connected to the main computer, something that he had planned to work in down the road. He took his first steps in the suit walking past the work station into his exercise area. He stood over a specific spot on the floor that was outlined by a large square.

"Run program..."

The floor around him slowly began to sink into the ground, the loud hum of the hydraulics working echoing throughout the cave. As the last of his exercise machines disappeared into the ground, the ground was sealed by blast doors reforming a floor area. Four large walls began to rise from the ground, enclosing the area around him. Green lines formed a grid around him; just a bright light flared.

Batman was now standing on top of the old theater that he exited those years ago. A complete simulation of Gotham had been rendered; even a light but steady rainfall had begun.

Batman moved towards the edge of the building, placing a foot on the ledge. He looked down at the simulation, a horrible feeling running through his body. He could not help but feel that maybe this is the only way he would ever see Gotham again. Batman moved his head around some more, using the new scanner in his cowl to map out the city. Batman had already known the terrain of Gotham, but he needs to test out all of his equipment if he is to get the proper feel for it.

Then he noticed the most peculiar thing.

On a formed puddle resting on the ground of the roof, Batman saw his reflection. Other than the five o'clock shadow that had grown, the new suit was identical to one he had already seen. He couldn't notice as it was in the display case, but the suit was completely identical to the one that the Justice Lord Batman wore.

The presence of Slade in his time period has probably altered far more than Batman or any of his comrades had realized.

Wasting no more time, Batman extended his arm and pointed with his fist. A grapple shot out from the suit and Batman leapt off of the building.

* * *

Batman sat inside of the new vehicle he had designed himself, the BM37. Among other things, Slade apparently took it upon himself to finish most of the upgrades Batman had been planning for some time. But mostly Batman noticed that his designs had been modified considerably. While Batman was training, he adjusted to those modifications fairly quick.

"Computer", Batman said. "Upload training manual for the BM37."

Automatically, the suit took Batman's hands to each side of the cockpit. They attached to control handles, even though Batman was not ready for an immediate departure. However, Batman wanted answers as quickly as possible.

IMPUT DESIRED DESTINATION...

Batman wanted to know first hand what had happened to Earth. Slade gave no implications as to the state Earth was in after forty-three years. Batman didn't even want to imagine what might have happened, but he had to find out.

Batman put in the coordinates for the BM37 to take him exactly over Wayne Manor. If anything drastic had happened to Earth, Batman wanted to find out about his home and Gotham first. Deep down, Batman could already feel that outside the confines of the cave, a different world awaited him. The only question was what kind of world.

The BM37 began to hover in place, ready to depart. From inside, Batman saw a brief blue light emit around the BM37, then the light disappeared along with the cave. He now found himself hovering in place, this time surrounded by dark clouds. Thunder could be heard, showing that Batman had rematerialized in the middle of rain storm.

The sensors showed that Batman was now twenty thousand feet in the air, directly above Wayne Manor. Batman piloted through the clouds, the electronic buffers in the BM37 absorbing the turbulence from the storm perfectly. He began a slow descent as the rain continuously beat down on the BM37.

Batman exited the clouds and could already see the terrain of the land below. The rain made it difficult to make out the specifics of the ground out of the windshield, so Batman activated the infrared camera. On the bottom left corner of the windshield, the heat signature of the ground below could be seen.

Batman's fears were true when no sign of Wayne Manor appeared on screen.

"Computer, clean scan..."

The camera switched to a normal view, only this time the camera was able to edit out anything with a water concentration. The rain was no longer a factor and small build ups of water on the ground were no longer visible. Batman descended closer to the ground, only to see that now in the place of the manor was a series of burnt trees and ground covered soot.

However, those trees did not appear on the infrared sensor at all.

"Computer, switch to infrared again."

Just as Batman thought, the sensors showed that no burnt trees were anywhere in the vicinity. Switching off the infrared, Batman piloted to just about twenty feet above the ground and just outside the grounds of his property.

Batman decided to have a closer look.

The bottom of the BM37 opened and Batman leapt to the wet ground below. He landed as the soft turf of mud splattered and the rain continued to pelt the ground. He looked on at the trees that weren't really there. He switched the lenses in his cowl to infrared as he began to walk the grounds. Batman's naked eyes saw that the path he was currently walking should have been obstructed by small, charred forest.

Batman walked without walking into any supposed trees, his feet slightly sinking into the wet earth with each step. The air was extremely cool as his suit automatically adjusted its temperature. Batman picked up a strong heat signature coming from the center of where his home used to stand.

Batman immediately switched on the cloaking device in the suit, making him completely invisible. He didn't want to risk engaging a hostile until he found what he was looking for. Picking up his pace, Batman continued towards the source of the heat. As he was getting closer, the shape of the signature was becoming visible. What Batman could see now was a large metal crate.

Batman reached the source, now seeing a long instrument on the top of it. The crate was easily ten feet length, width and height. Batman switched off his infrared for a moment to see that in fact his eyes could not see the crate. Switching back the infrared, he concluded that this device was generating a holographic image of a battle-torn wooded area.

Batman standing on the ground where his family's home once stood was beginning to hinder at his emotions. Fighting back any distracting feelings, Batman quickly sprinted to the edge of the cliff into the extension of the old Gotham River. Batman reached the edge and looked down at the water. He dropped to his knees as the realization of his predicament began to set in.

Batman was no longer in his own time, he already knew that. He already had settled on finding the means of returning home, and he fought back the notion that his future did not look bright. Batman looked behind him at the holographic trees as the rain continued to pour. He knew that he could no longer linger around anymore and that his answers would be found on Mars.

Now standing up, Batman remotely piloted the BM37 back to his position on the cliff. It arrived with the bottom hatch open ready for his reentry. Batman shot a grapple up to the ship, lifting him quickly inside as the hatch closed.

"Go", Batman said as he readied himself in his seat.

Batman let the autopilot take control as he allowed himself a moment to rest. He was interrupted as the beeping alarm sounded inside the ship. Batman returned to manual control as he readied himself again.

"Computer, report..."

The sensors began to show that two objects were flying towards him at an alarming rate from five hundred miles away. Batman quickly punched in coordinates as he piloted the BM37 out of Earth's atmosphere. He was cut off quickly as two ships suddenly appeared almost thirty yards behind him.

"Great..." Batman said to himself.

The two ships used a teleportation device to gain ground on him. Batman knew that he couldn't afford getting caught right now. He needed to work freely and quickly as soon as possible.

"Computer", Batman said. "Ready to teleport one hundred miles from Martian patrolled space."

WARNING...

DESTINATION UNDER SURVAILLANCE AND IS DECLARED A NO FLY ZONE...

ANY SHIPS INTRUDING INTO AIRSPACE WITHOUT PROPER AUTHORIZATION WILL BE ENGAGED ON SITE

Batman was already regretting designing the automated system.

USE OF CLOAK HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND WILL BE ACTIVATED ONCE IN MARS AIRSPACE

AWAITING COMMAND FOR DEPARTURE...

"Do it!" Batman shouted as he was losing his patience with his own creation.

He had stocked up on the necessary supplies he would need, already familiar with the new equipment that had only been in the design stage since he last remembered. But knowing how to build them was a small sign of knowing how to use them.

If anything were a metaphor of his life, this was it...

Returning to his home fresh from a forty-three year absence and now already leaving to fight the good fight. Batman didn't even have time to silently laugh at himself, the BM37 immediately cloaked and teleported.

From the cockpit, Batman saw the skies of his home disappear and the vastness of space replace it.

"Scan region", Batman immediately said.

The onboard sensors showed that the Martian fleet had been patrolling the sector he was in. The fleet would not be able to detect him, but Batman decided not to linger. Before he could move his ship, the onboard sensors picked up a signature of another spacecraft. The two ships that chases out of Earth did not show up on his sensors.

"Computer, unidentified ship onscreen..."

The screen came on, but nothing could be seen. Batman viewed the screen carefully, and then noticed a slight wave. Whatever was out there had a cloaking device like his. Batman was hoping that the bogey did not have sensors like his. Batman locked on to the signature of the bogey and followed it. He was not surprised to see that it was headed towards Mars. As he was on a pursuit course, Batman needed to know what exactly he was following.

Luckily for him, the ship de-cloaked.

He followed the ship, hoping that this was a Martian vessel. The ship itself was roughly the size of the salvage ship that he was inside of earlier in the day.

The sensors began to pick up radio signals, Batman then activated the long range transmitter.

_"...Scout Class Vessel 243l returning to Mars. Requesting clearance, landing code 3572. Over."_

_"Scout Class Vessel 2431, permission granted. Over."_

_"Roger that, thanks a bunch."_

The ship was indeed a Martian vessel. Batman wondered from where exactly that scout ship was returning from.

Realizing that no threat was to come from that ship, Batman decided to go about his mission with haste, teleporting from space directly into Mars' atmosphere.

Batman could already see with his own eyes that the terrain of Mars was completely different. He noticed that scattered across the red planet, large cities could be seen from thousands of miles in the sky. Surrounding each city was a, what Batman could recognize only as, some sort of atmospheric processing grids. Like large dams that held in the breathable air.

"Computer, locate the Senate House of the Martian colonies and amount of time until the next meeting."

THE SENATE HOUSE IS LOCATED THIRTY-THREE DEGREES LATITUDE, SIXTY-FIVE DEGREES LONGITUDE

THE CITY OF NEW METROPOLIS

THE NEXT MEETING WILL COME INTO ORDER APPROXIMATELY SIXTEEN HOURS AND FORTY-FIVE MINUTES FROM CURRENT TIME

Batman found nothing comforting with the name of 'New Metropolis'. He contemplated returning to Earth to put to rest some of his nagging feelings, but his mind was already set on the task at hand.

Batman flew the BM37 at a lower altitude, trying to gain a better perspective of the cities. Batman noticed that most of the cities were very similar to the ones on Earth. In fact, most of the cities that were flying by underneath him were near carbon copies of the old cities. Batman saw what he thought was downtown Paris as he flew over one particular city.

The BM37 arrived over the skies of New Metropolis. Batman marveled at the striking similarity the city had with the Metropolis he knew. He flew down over a roof top that had the highest vantage point. The tallest building in the area was one that Batman could not help but notice right away. The company's name was in large letters, displaying its greatness to the world.

Wayne Enterprises...

Batman scowled slightly, the idea of his family name being carried on without him was almost more than he could stand. He flew to the top of the building, easily one hundred and fifty stories high.

"Computer, maintain cloak and hover over this spot."

Batman took a deep breath before he was ready to exit onto the roof. He had to find his contacts as quickly as possible. The only thing that bothered him was if whether or not anyone was still around to be considered a contact.

Batman leapt out of the hatch as the BM37 sustained it's cloak. Batman landed on the brand new rooftop, himself cloaked as well. It was daytime, and keeping a low profile was high priority. Batman walked to the edge of the skyscraper, looking down at New Metropolis. Past the flying vehicles that littered the sky below him, he could see the ground as people commuted in a large mass.

Batman lifted his head to view the skyline. He was amazed, this was...Metropolis. The only difference was that it was in mars and surrounded by the atmospheric processors.

Inside of Batman's cowl, the lenses showed a small blinking light as he looked in a specific direction. The light represented The Senate House, showing him exactly where he needed to go.

Batman leapt off of the roof, cloaked completely, and shot a grapple to the building across. He positioned himself to leap off into the sky, that is until he heard the sound of an explosion from the ground. Batman looked down again, this time adjusting the lenses in his cowl to magnify the view. From what he could see, the entrance at the bottom of the Wayne Enterprises building was being attacked. He was able to see a small crew of fifteen men, well armed and firing into the commuters.

Wasting no time, Batman let go of his line and jumped into a face-first freefall towards the ground. Batman watched as the attackers began to slaughter the people as though they were animals. Batman fired down four gas pellets towards the attackers, well before he even came close to the ground. The pellets exploded around the attackers as Batman flipped himself to a feet-first position and the bottom of his boots revealed that they were jet propelled. His descent was quickly slowed as he was now hovering to the ground.

He could hear the voices of the attackers as the nearby crowds were in a frenzy from the gunshots. Batman landed on the ground as he switched to his infrared view to easily see the attackers. Batman was directly behind one, slamming the side of his hand into the neck of the first of his prey. The attacker fell limp to the ground as the rest began to become subdued by the gas and fell to the ground as well.

As the smoke from the gas quickly dissipated, Batman began to check one of the attackers on the ground. Batman knelt down and opened the small vest on the young man. The young man looked to be around twenty years old, a Hispanic male.

The shirt the young man had on was a white shirt with the words 'Free Earth Now!' and 'Die Amazon Bitch' handwritten onto it. Batman looked up from the attacker to see that everyone in this group were dressed exactly the same with the black vest, white t-shirt and army fatigue pants. Batman looked back at the crowd of people who were gunned down. He quickly walked towards them as he could get a count of thirty-three people were lying on the ground, one of them a little girl no older than ten. Those who weren't dying were already dead.

Batman felt his stomach wrench just as sirens could be heard. Batman quickly switched on his cloak as the small paramedic ships appeared on site. To him, they looked just like buses that could fly, obviously meant for multiple patient transports. He then walked back to the crew of assailants as the medical ships arrived.

Batman made an escape, taking the gunman who shot the most people with him.

* * *

Gilda Mitchell was working tirelessly at readying the speech for the chancellor to give for the senate meeting. She kept the television on her favorite channel to see if her Wayne Enterprises stock had risen while she worked at her normal job. The news channel she watched broke into breaking news as Gilda finished transferring the data to the Chancellor's PDA. She looked at the television just as the reporter on location was beginning his story.

"...Here at the Wayne Enterprises Headquarters in downtown New Metropolis, a terrible scene has just taken place. Members of the terrorist group 'God's Children' have once again attacked the citizens of Mars. Leaving in their wake twenty-nine dead, four wounded. However, a story within this tragic event has risen as well."

The television screen switched to another view.

"One of the security cameras in the city caught this shocking footage. As you can plainly see, the members of 'God's Children' were quickly subdued as they were engulfed in a thick, cloud of smoke. As the smoke began to clear, what can only be described as an act of heroism could easily be recognized. A local citizen has taken the law into their own hands as he dressed up in a Batman costume and easily defeated the terrorists. As we enhance the view, you can see a close up of the hero as he indeed wearing a Batman costume. Jean, I don't know what to make of this, but I'll have more when it's available. Rob, Jean, back to you in the studio..."

Gilda watched as the anchors of the news channel replayed the footage. Gilda couldn't help but to feel happy that someone outside of the government has decided to stand up for the people. However, she knew that this behavior was far from encouraged on Mars. But she couldn't help but to let the romantic side of her take over in that very moment.

Gilda stood up from her desk and walked towards the chancellor's door. She put her hand on the handle only to hear two voices talking. Being that the vice chancellor was able to tell if anyone was around, she decided to enter without knocking.

"...It was him, I am sure of it."

Gilda entered the large and lavish office and immediately saw that the chancellor was sitting at her table with a troubled look on her face. The chancellor had been under great scrutiny since she came into power all those years ago. Gilda knew the topics that didn't sit well with the people, but she agreed completely with the chancellor and her decisions. The vice chancellor was standing in front of her table, looking down with great concern. Gilda had been working as an assistant for years, but she still had trouble adjusting to seeing the vice chancellor's face.

"What is it?" The chancellor finally said as her face was as serious as ever.

"Your speech is ready, ma'am", Gilda said.

Gilda simply walked up to the chancellor's desk as the chancellor began to stand up.

"Gilda, I need for you announce that the meeting will be delayed", Chancellor Prince said. "I have to attend the scene of the terrorist attack."

Gilda watched as the chancellor walked from around her desk and headed for her door. Gilda could never understand the reasoning behind the chancellor's choice of wardrobe. She knew it was primarily for her heritage, Gilda wondered if the chancellor just likes to show off her extremely long legs in front of everyone.

Chancellor Prince made it to her door just as the vice chancellor walked to her side.

"J'onn, we have to be certain", Chancellor Prince said with a hint of enthusiasm in her voice. "If it is him, we cannot risk losing him again. This could be best good news we have received in a long time."

"It could be a hoax", Vice Chancellor J'onz said. "But I am positive it was him. The trace was faint, but I am almost positive that it is him."

"Then let us be quiet about it until we know for sure, my friend", Chancellor Prince said.

Gilda watched as the chancellor and vice chancellor exited the large office. Gilda leaned on the counter, thinking about what all had been said. She hated being in the dark, and she knew something juicy was being kept a secret.

"Who were they talking about?"


	2. The Speed of Life

Do not own, don't sue.

Chapter 2: The Speed of Life

"What was the reason behind the attack?"

"Y...you're fuckin' kiddin' me, right man?"

Batman grabbed the throat of the terrorist he had 'borrowed' from the scene of the attack at the Wayne Enterprises Headquarters. The terrorist was upside down, a line tied tightly around his ankles. He was hanging from a flagpole hundreds of stories high on an office building. Batman was standing on the ledge just below the flagpole, eye level with his temporary prisoner.

"I won't ask twice", Batman said bringing their faces closer together.

The terrorist almost wet himself.

"We...we're 'God's Children', man", he started. "We only want the people of Earth to be considered a priority."

"Why wouldn't they be a priority?"

Batman's grip loosened a bit to let him talk.

"The government here on Mars is abandoning Earth, man", he said almost too fast to comprehend. "Everyone knows it, but no one is admitting it. It's our home, but that bitch and everyone else..."

Batman's grip tightened again.

"What happened to Earth?" Batman was beginning to shout. "Why is there a working government on Mars? What happened?"

_"Plenty has happened since you left us."_

Batman stood still as his grip loosened again. He slightly turned his head at the voice in his head.

"J'onn..."

Batman faced forward again and lifted his hand to the face of the terrorist, who had fully wet himself now. A small puff of smoke exited from Batman's glove, immediately knocking out the terrorist. Batman turned around on the ledge to see J'onn now standing in front of him.

J'onn couldn't help but to smile at the sight of his friend. He was wearing his normal attire, this time over a black body suit with a sidearm holstered at his waist.

"I thought your mind was enough of a weapon, J'onn", Batman said, not moving a muscle.

J'onn was somewhat surprised by Batman's immediate posture. He was showing no positive signs in seeing the Martian. J'onn remembered this look too well. It was the first look Batman gave him when he was rescued from that military base so many years ago.

"It's a regulation that all government officials be armed during times of war", J'onn said.

"Who are you at war with?" Batman said still not moving a muscle.

"Batman, let me take you back with me and I'll explain everything."

Batman shifted his weight slightly, still showing no signs of trust.

"Why does he find it necessary to take up arms against the people?" Batman said referring to the unconscious man still hanging upside down.

J'onn paused for a brief moment before answering.

"He is a terrorist who kills innocent people, Batman."

"One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, J'onn. You know that."

J'onn attempted to read Batman's mind, only to find that he couldn't this time.

"I left my neural inhibitor off purposely when I first arrived, J'onn", Batman said. "But not now, you already found me. That's all I wanted."

J'onn looked at Batman with a hint of disappointment. The thought of his once good friend no longer trusting him was hard to bear, no matter how predictable it might have been.

"You lead, I'll follow", Batman said as he began to back away.

Batman lifted his hand to fire his grapnel towards the sky. It grabbed hold of his cloaked BM37 and lifted him into the sky. Batman disappeared in an opening underneath his ship, now covered by its cloak as well. J'onn looked up as Batman disappeared from sight, now signaling for his own ship.

"Captain, de-cloak."

A ship appeared across the building and was hovering towards J'onn. J'onn gathered the unconscious terrorist and flew towards the black ship. The side opened up as J'onn flew in, the chancellor already seated in her spot.

"He's following", J'onn said walking in as Diana looked at him. "This will not be easy."

Chancellor Diana Prince, the head of Martian colonies, has had more on her mind over the last forty years than she cared to remember. But she took her responsibilities with great pride. It was her decision to enter politics all of those years ago, but she never expected to be put into the position she was now in.

"I did not expect it to be easy, J'onn", she said. "But I have faith. As well as you must."

"Of course", J'onn said.

J'onn J'onz has been at Diana's side since she had been elected by the senate. She chose him to be her vice chancellor due to him being a true native of Mars, and hopes to have him succeed her after she feels she can no longer accomplish her duties. However, she has been chancellor for over twenty years now. Her term will last as long as necessary until order is restored in their world.

"Captain", J'onn said into his communicator "Return to the senate house."

"Aye, sir", the captain said from the cockpit.

Batman followed and listened as the nano-bug that planted itself inside J'onn's ship transmitted the conversation inside. The conversation J'onn and Diana were having was brief, limiting their words. Batman wondered if they practiced brief conversations to counteract someone else listening in. Batman was able to read around that, however. He could easily feel the tension inside that ship.

Diana was aboard that ship, sounding as though she planned on this encounter. Batman knew that he being away for a while has caused his friends to hope for his survival, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to be misled.

Batman followed J'onn and Diana's ship back to the senate house. The landing ports were patrolled my military personnel. He noticed that a Devastator was patrolling the sky over the senate house. His sensors showed that almost twenty other small vessels were patrolling the area while cloaked. Batman quickly turned on the communicator, finding the frequency for the chancellor's ship.

"I'm not landing here", Batman said as soon as the channel opened. "I'll land somewhere else and meet J'onn and Diana inside."

_"Denied"_, the ships captain said. _"This is a high security area and you are to be escorted in." _

"I'll find my way in", Batman said as he cut off the connection.

* * *

Diana and J'onn walked down the platform that leads to their ship, her private chambers their destination. She made it specifically clear to the guards that she and the vice chancellor were not to be disturbed. They reached the hallway that lead to her chambers, a very secluded and secure hallway.

That is until now.

"Why are you on Mars?"

Diana and J'onn stopped as Batman's voice appeared suddenly behind them. They turned around to see Batman standing in the middle of the hallway staring back at them. Diana carefully stared at him, making sure it was him. That posture and voice could only be mimicked by a shape shifter, and J'onn already confirmed that indeed it was really Batman.

"B...Bruce?" Diana said looking at him.

Batman saw the look on her face and noticed that Diana had not aged since he last saw her. The Amazons were blessed with both eternal life and beauty. She wore her formal Amazonian garbs that she had worn during Superman's 'wake' years ago. Normally Batman would have given himself an opportunity to admire and appreciate Diana, but now was not one of those times.

"Why are you on Mars and what happened to Earth?" Batman said now walking towards them.

Even after all of this time, Diana knew that when Batman meant business, it would be best to follow suit. Batman stopped directly in front of Diana, slightly looking down at her.

"Many events have occurred in your absence, Batman", Diana said returning to her voice and posture of authority. "If you wish to understand the specific details, then come with us."

Batman looked at her blankly, not allowing any trail of emotion to be seen. He remembered a time when he would at least offer Diana a sense of where he was coming from, but he had no choice but to stay focused.

Batman slightly nodded to Diana's request.

Diana and J'onn turned to continue towards her chambers with Batman walking along side her. Diana kept her posture as proper as possible while walking towards their destination, but she couldn't help but peek out the corner of her eye at Batman. He wore a different costume now, she almost thought she had seen him with that costume before, but realized that maybe she had been mistaken. What remained was his stern look that implied that he was cut off from any contact other than the interaction that he saw fit. She felt that hesitant feeling towards him, but it was far overshadowed by the sudden realization that he was now alive.

That alone was beginning to help her cope with the events of the past forty years..

The three arrived at the doorway into her chambers, as Diana gave voice and retinal verification to enter. The door opened and a room with numerous computers and screens mounted on the walls. Batman entered after J'onn and Diana, looking around. He also noticed that no pictures were anywhere to be seen. Batman remembered that Diana had begun a small hobby with taking pictures. He remembered her using a digital camera that belonged to Flash and her taking pictures of him when he repeatedly asked her not to. He remembers one time when he caught her and Diana flashed him an innocent look like a child would when they did something wrong.

"A new hobby, Princess..?" Batman said referring to the equipment.

Diana was facing her desk when she heard Batman call her 'Princess'. She then quickly turned around, showing a stern look of her own.

"I would advise you to watch your tone with me, Bruce", Diana said slightly startling Batman.

Batman stood his ground and asked his questions again.

"Why are you on Mars and what happened to Earth?"

Diana looked at J'onn and nodded at him. J'onn moved to the side of her desk as she went behind it and sat down. She gestured with her hand to Batman to sit down in the seat in front of the desk.

"I'll stand, thank you", Batman said.

Diana looked at him, slowly bringing her hand back to her. She folded her hands, now placing them on her lap. She knew the day would come where she would have to explain everything to him. She knew because she did not believe he was dead. However, the words still had a hard time finding their way out.

"Bruce", Diana finally started with slight difficulty. "It has been over forty years since you disappeared."

"Forty-three, Diana", Batman said.

"When you first left..."

Diana stopped and quickly turned her head to her side. She knew it was going to be difficult to ever tell the story to those who never knew it. She never thought that the truth would be hard to tell to him. She never thought that she would tell him not as a friend, but as someone who was interrogating her.

Batman had seen too many individuals break down during questioning in his day to know what was going on. Whatever Diana had to tell him, it wasn't going to be easy nor would it be pleasant.

"Then just tell me this", Batman tried to help her. "Where is everyone? The League, Dick, Tim, Barbara, Cassandra...everyone. Where are they?"

Diana felt J'onn's hand on her shoulder as she heard Batman's tone return to the friend she knew all of those years , Bruce", Diana said still emotional. "I have to tell you everything that happened, from the beginning. Only then will it make sense."

Batman nodded, and gave a showing of support by taking Diana's early offer and sat down in the chair in front of her. He sat up right, his posture a model of perfection. Diana quickly regained her composure and showed off her posture as well.

"So, tell me chancellor", Batman said with a more relaxed look on his face.

Diana gave Batman a surprised, yet flattered look when she heard the word 'chancellor' escape from his mouth.

"I over heard you talking with your guards", Batman clarified. "Start at the beginning."

Diana eased her posture by sitting back in the chair. Batman never frayed from his seating position, keeping his full attention on Diana.

"When you first left, we didn't really believe you were gone. Tim and I wouldn't believe it. He felt that he failed you when he lost Slade's ship. In our own way, we all felt we failed you. You had given so much as a mortal to this world, even with the great abilities we had, we could never measure up to the amount of your importance."

Batman watched Diana say these things as though they were admissions to a secret that she swore to keep. Diana kept her posture as Batman kept his statue-like composure upright. She saw that he was focused on finding answers, but she wanted some answers as well.

"Bruce, where did you go?" Diana asked staring back at him. "What happened to you?"

Batman slightly twitched his lips, his first movement since sitting down.

"I don't know exactly", Batman answered. "What I do know is that I had awakened inside..."

"Inside of the unmarked Devastator", Diana finished for him. "Captain Brian Richards' salvage team found you."

Batman watched as Diana lifted an eyebrow at him.

"You broke Captain Richards' jaw."

Batman smirked at Diana who was minimally amused.

"Not the worst to happen when someone pulls a gun on me", he said.

"You attacked his men", Diana said.

"I only wanted answers", Batman said. "They're the ones who attacked me."

Diana huffed out a breath of air and continued.

"Regardless of what had happened Bruce, you reappeared during a time of war. Captain Richards and every other captain on every other ship patrolling the space between here and the earth are on high alert."

"Then tell me what happened, Diana", Batman said sternly. "Since I came into contact with J'onn, you've been giving me bureaucratic treatment. Or should I find my answers back on Earth?"

Batman reached behind his back and pulled out a dirty piece of white cloth. He unfolded it into a t-shirt in front of the chancellors, placing it on the table. The writing on the shirt indicated that it was the one worn by the member of God's Children Batman had interrogated. J'onn and Diana stared at the shirt as the words were hard to ignore. Batman noticed both of their postures shift slightly.

"They're not killing innocent people for nothing, Diana", Batman said.

Diana sat back in her chair for a moment, looking down for a moment. She had been questioned before about the current conditions of both Earth and Mars. She looked back up at Batman who was still looking at her.

"We lost Earth a long time ago, Bruce", Diana finally began. "We've established a working government on Mars twenty years ago and these have not been the easiest of times."

"How did we lose Earth?" Batman asked.

Diana sat up again, now folding her hands on the table.

"We were invaded not long after you left, Bruce", Diana said. "In fact, it was only months after you disappeared. A ship appeared over Washington D.C. while we were patrolling the area for a possible terrorist attack. We engaged it at first, but we were unsuccessful. Hawkgirl identified the ship as a 'Gordanian' ship."

Batman face slightly shifted to a questioning look.

"Gordanian..?"

"Yes", Diana nodded. "We immediately engaged the ship, but we were easily defeated. The ship landed and the Gordanians exited their ship, ready to attack us head on. They were stopped by their leader on the ship, who was under orders to only scout the planet..."

Diana paused for a moment, and stared blankly. Batman noticed this and looked up at J'onn, whose eyes were glowing.

"This will have to continue later, Bruce", Diana said as she stood up. "J'onn, go ahead of me. I'll be there in a moment."

"Of course", J'onn said as he phased through the ground.

Batman stared at Diana who was quickly walking around the desk.

"I apologize, Bruce", She said as her door opened. "A small fleet is approaching Martian airspace from Earth. I have to return to the defense bunker and oversee our defensive procedures."

Diana walked out of her chambers, but didn't hear Batman behind her at all. She turned around to see that Batman was not in her chambers or anywhere behind her.

"Bruce?"

* * *

Batman rematerialized on top of the building where the BM37 was still hovering over in cloak. Batman stood on the roof as alarms sounded all across New Metropolis. Loudspeakers urging citizens to take shelter at their designated areas could be heard as well. Batman looked over the ledge of the roof to see the people being gathered by ground soldiers and taken away. Batman wondered how many of those people were not being taken against their will.

Batman had a positive feeling the ships that are showing up in Martian space are there because of him. He had quickly escaped Earth when two ships had engaged him, but he had teleported before they had a chance to open fire.

Batman entered the BM37 through the bottom hatch, quickly seating himself. He immediately piloted for the skies as he noticed something almost awe inspiring. The city of New Metropolis' buildings began to give of energy signatures that the BM37 was picking up. Either they were shielding themselves, or they were acting as power conductors.

The BM37 quickly escaped the Martian atmosphere, traveling under cloak towards the Martian fleet. Batman saw countless ships in the space above Mars, counting eleven Devastators and multiple one-man fighters. Batman maneuvered through the massive armada completely undetected.

"Computer, find frequency with the most communication traffic."

Immediately Batman was given the frequency used by the Martian fleet, now hearing Diana's voice.

_"...Maintain positions. Gordanian vessels approaching at five hundred miles per second, begin defensive protocols and activate atmospheric shield."_

The BM37 picked up a massive energy reading coming from Mars as an energy shield now covered it. Batman returned his focus back towards the empty space were small hints of an incoming fleet were beginning to be seen.

Batman's attention was then taken away from the incoming fleet back to Diana's voice.

_"This is a definite attack fleet sent from Earth, I advise all ships to exercise extreme caution and may the god you believe in be with you. Admiral Drake, the fleet is yours."_

Batman's attention grew stronger at the sound of 'Admiral Drake'.

_"Yes, Chancellor Prince"_, a strong, yet light voice said. _"This is Admiral Tim Drake aboard Devastator class ship The Emancipation. Begin defensive protocol three-one-zero-niner. Warm up main cannons and prepare to attack on my mark."_

Batman piloted through the traffic of ships, finding the Emancipation at the forefront of the Martian fleet. He heard it, but without the answers he needed, Batman was greatly confused. Not even bothering to grind out this new information on 'Admiral Drake', Batman now kept pace with the Emancipation as it readied for attack. Ships could now be seen on the long-range sensors, Batman read four large Devastator-like vessels, numerous one-man fighters and a large ship that was easily twice the size as any of the large battle cruisers.

Batman's luck was remaining consistent.

The small fighters from the incoming fleet approached first, provoking the one-man fighters from Mars to engage them. The Martian fighters flew in formations of eight, roughly fifteen different groupings ready for attack. A massive dogfight ensued in the space outside of Mars as the larger vessels waited on each other to begin their respective attacks.

Batman kept the BM37 directly above the Emancipation as the small ships clashed roughly eighty miles ahead of them. Just as BM37's computer read an energy signature from the largest vessel, the radio frequency was flooded with shouts from the Martian fleet.

_"...Massive energy reading coming from main Gordanian ship, be ready for evasive..."_

The Devastator that had read the energy signature first was immediately destroyed. The main cannon from the large vessel fired a plasma beam directly through the dogfight, destroying its own ships along with the Martian fighters, and striking the single Devastator, reducing it to fiery debris.

The main frequency was now cluttered with shouts from each ship and some from Mars as well. What Batman read from the jumbled communication was that the fleet was awaiting another blast within ten minutes of the first. Batman wondered if that cannon had to be recharged before the each ensuing attack. Within seconds, the incoming fleet began to accelerate its approach. More small fighters emerged from the armada, now flying directly towards the Martian fleet. The few fighters left engaged them as the Devastators began to attack as well. The smaller four battle cruisers approached, forming a defensive line in front of the large vessel.

Batman now heard commands coming from the Emancipation for the remaining Devastators to engage the cruisers protecting the larger cruiser. Batman began to pilot the BM37 to avoid a collision with any of the ships unable to detect him.

The four ships protecting the larger one approached and began an attack. The Devastators began to counter attack as the smaller ships struck at them from all positions. What could be described as an awesome site was overshadowed by the death and destruction that surrounded the Dark Knight. He watched as countless lives were being lost far too easily in this conflict.

He knew he had to do something.

The frequency was going crazy again as the computer in the BM37 read the same energy signature coming from the large ship once again. The three smaller ships fired what looked like energy balls, two from each ship. They flew past the Martian fleet and impacted on the shield surrounding Mars. The BM37's computer readings showed that those energy clusters were electro-magnetically charged. Batman was also informed that the shield over Mars was considerably weakened. The large ship fired a larger concentrated blast than before towards Mars. The plasma beam destroyed another Devastator and smaller attack fighters along its way as it impacted on the Martian atmosphere. Batman could read that the shield over Mars was heavily damaged by the blast and that another like that could easily collapse the shield.

Batman raised his head from looking at the screen to stare outside of the windshield of the BM37.

"Ten minutes..."

Batman quickly turned the BM37 towards the giant vessels and accelerated towards them. He had to stop that cannon from firing again, but deep down he knew that to do so, he would more than likely have to break a vow that he made to himself along time ago. The BM37 easily flew without being detected from any of the ships in the region as it approached the giant vessel. Batman could hear the Martian fleet over the frequency coordinate a defense strategy to deflect another blast away from striking Mars.

Batman flew past the four ships protecting the larger one, ready to land on its surface. But Batman quickly realized that he couldn't land on the ship through its own energy shield. Batman programmed the BM37 to sustain cloak and remain over the giant ship, now he needed to get inside of it.

"Computer, ready to open bottom hatch..."

Batman knew he couldn't use the single teleportation device from inside his ship. But he also didn't want to teleport the BM37 inside and risk losing it. Thankfully the new suit was well equipped for such a situation. Batman brought up his left arm to his face as he pressed on the clothed gauntlet with his right hand. The gauntlet proved to be mechanical as it flipped open, revealing a small keyboard and LCD monitor. Batman punched in a sequence of buttons and his suit began to slightly change. The area where his jaw was exposed was now covered as the cowl closed up with an air-tight seal. The suit then engaged its own life support system to enable Batman to function in space in his suit alone.

Batman knew in his current condition that even the depths of space couldn't harm him without proper life support, but again he chose not to live as though his life was impervious to the limitations of mortality.

The BM37 quickly switched the cockpit to zero gravity as the oxygen was now being sucked out. It readied itself to expose the innards to the emptiness of space.

The bottom hatch opened and Batman quickly leapt out. Wasting no time and not wanting to be detected, Batman quickly teleported inside the ship.

* * *

From what Batman could tell, he rematerialized inside of an armory. Batman activated his cloak and returned his suit to its normal state. He walked to the door and pressed a button he could tell should opened it. The door shot open as a hallway could be seen. Batman quickly ran out, keeping his footwork quiet. He heard loud sounds of chanting and shouts coming from a specific direction. Batman followed the sound, hoping to find the means of disarming the main cannon.

Batman ran the hallway until he came to a dead end, but he was now standing on a balcony looking down at what seemed like hundreds of thousands of soldiers. They were all lizard-like humanoids, all armed for combat. Batman knew this was an invasion force ready to land on Mars.

Although cloaked, Batman's lenses could see his suit as it remained invisible to the naked eye. This feature helped as he brought his left arm up and used the small computer on his gauntlet while staying cloaked. Batman programmed his computer to locate the largest energy concentration from inside the ship. Four possibilities were shown to him on the LCD screen, three of them were identical. Batman figured those were the propulsion systems, leaving the lone signature coming from 300 yards back down the hall.

Batman turned and quickly ran the towards the source as he counted down to having only six minutes left until the cannon fired again. As he ran, he passed by countless windows looking into a large hangar were it seems like thousands of the small attack ship were ready be launched.

He kept pace as time was now becoming more of a factor. The sensors in his suit transmitted to his lenses that he was getting closer to the energy source. After running the length of three football fields, Batman stood over a large oval shaped room that was the base of the cannon. He found a hatch to gain access from the top, as he told himself now he had four minutes. Batman dropped down what seemed like five stories into the room. He landed on the steel grate, causing a loud 'crash' sound. His suit detected movements from two large objects, both biological.

"Guards..." Batman whispered to himself.

Batman stood still as two of the well armed reptilian soldiers came from around the large base of the cannon. Batman was cloaked from their site, but he didn't want to risk anything. Ready to test the strength of his suit, he quickly ran at the two bewildered guards who didn't see anything and landed a crushing punch to the first's face. That guard flew to the nearest wall and the impact drove its unconscious body two feet inside of it.

The next guard watched as its partner flew into the wall for no apparent reason, now feeling a solid blow to the back of its neck. It fell to its knees as another blow came crashing onto its face, sending it backwards about twenty feet.

After Batman kneed the second guard, he turned his attention to the cannon base. He reached into belt and retrieved several of his explosive caps to attach and detonate. He planted all of the ones he had at his disposal in what his suit calculated as vital points. Batman then was treated to a silent alarm in his cowl showing that the cannon was almost ready to fire. Batman turned and ran to find the exit out of the room, now pressing the button on the controls for the caps.

The explosion was far greater than Batman was anticipating. The floor of the cannon' base opened up from the blast as it began to crumble. As Batman ran from the area readying to teleport, the readings in his suit were screaming for him to exit the ship. The unused energy from the cannon was ready to overload the systems and cause a destructive chain reaction across the ship. Batman ran a scan of the ship, finding out exactly how many of those aliens were on board.

Batman stopped as the large number appeared in his heads up display in his cowl.

"Five hundred thousand..." Batman read aloud.

Batman felt the sick feeling of being responsible for the loss of over five hundred thousand. His cowl resealed itself as he lazily activated the teleportation device and he disappeared from inside the ship as it began to detonate.

* * *

Diana and her people in the defense bunker on Mars watched on monitors as the main ship's cannon was charged ready to fire. To Diana's and everyone else's shock, the ship began to explode mid-firing sequence. Over the main frequency a hushed silence could be heard, only to be interrupted by a roar off applause and cheers as the Gordanian ship appeared to self destruct. The explosion also claimed the four ships that had formed a defensive wall in front if it.

"Admiral Drake, Report", Diana said standing behind one of her exhausted technicians.

_"Chancellor, the main Gordanian cruiser self destructed without warning"_ a relieved voice said over the main frequency._ "None of our ships were even close enough to it yet to attack it."_

Diana along with the rest of her fleet was clueless as to how this sudden turn of events took place. For the first time, the weapon that the Gordanians had always threatened the people of Mars they would use had finally come into play. But Diana knew the Gordanians were too well rounded with their technology for a mishap of this magnitude to happen without working out all of the complications before usage.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, an uncalculated occurrence had finally worked out in Mars' favor.

"Chancellor", the technician said. "We're getting a video signal from an unknown source on all channels"

Diana knew what was coming. She had been 'contacted' by representatives from Earth after every battle to ask for her surrender. However this time, she was sure this was not going to be as pleasant as the previous broadcasts.

"On screen", Diana said with a hint of a smile forming.

Every screen in the fleet and in the defense bunker came on, but it was not a Gordanian's face greeting them.

It was Batman.

And what he had to say was brief.

"Diana", Batman said as he slightly panted. "I killed hundreds of thousands of your enemies to save your 'people'. I want answers and I want them now."

The video feed quickly ended almost as fast as Batman's soul-piercing tone did. Diana and her people were shell shocked at the vicious site of Batman's face, as though he was scrutinizing their very being. Diana looked around the room of her technicians as everyone had unsure looks on their face as to what had just happened.

"Send orders to the fleet to return home and prepare all medical teams", Diana said as her people began to follow her orders.

J'onn came to her side from overseeing another aspect of his responsibilities.

"When he comes, I'll explain..."

Diana cut off J'onn immediately shaking her head.

"No", Diana said. "I'll handle him. Summon everyone together at the Hall."

* * *

Admiral Tim Drake placed his hand on the small monitor as the signal cut off. Inside the bridge of the Emancipation, crews were repairing the bridge and the medical staffs were seeing to the wounded. Drake continued to stare at the empty screen, focusing on his hand. It was a wonder that he was able to stay so young for so long. His face and body never aged or changed after his thirtieth birthday. Life still managed to put him into a state of awe, even during the hardest times.

Tim was interrupted from his deep thoughts as a hand found its way on his shoulder.

"Tim..?" the soft voice said to him. "Are you well?"

Tim Drake turned around to the see the face of the youthful looking captain, and the person he calls wife. The Tamaranian saw a smile on her husband's face that she had not seen on him in over forty years. However, the tears on his face were very familiar.

"Star...he's back."


	3. Sort Of Homecoming

(AN) Yep, it's true. An update…

Don't own, don't sue.

Chapter 3: Sort of Homecoming

The BM37 hovered in space as Batman sat in silence. For being in a different time than his own, his instincts still had complete control over him. Seeing that a disaster was about to commence, Batman decided to get involved in a war he had hoped to pass on. He was focused on trying to find a way back to his time. Even worse now, Batman sits with the thought of over five hundred-thousand deaths by his hands.

Never in his life has he ever taken a life, the worse case were only a handful of criminals needing longer than two days in a hospital. Batman knew it was a war, casualties are to be expected. That still didn't prevent him from cursing himself in silence. He mumbled the large number to himself a few times before he threw his head back and grunted in frustration.

Batman returned his head forward to resume the assessment of his situation.

From what he remembered before he left, Slade told him that Darkseid was to invade Earth much sooner than originally anticipated. However, Diana told him that a race of beings known as the Gordanians had invaded, not Darkseid. Before Batman could question her further, she was called away to a battle.

The last thing he did was broadcast to all of Mars that he had intended on getting the answers he wanted, by force if necessary. He knew full well that wasn't such a good idea. Being in the heat of what had happened, Batman could barely hold a sentence, save a rational thought. He knew he had to do things the old fashioned way.

"Computer", Batman said breaking his own silence. "Return to cave."

The BM37 teleported back to cave instantaneously, causing Batman to take a deep breath to himself.

He opened the top hatch, lifting himself out quickly. Batman immediately took his cowl off, giving Bruce a moment to catch his own breath. He fell to his knees with the burden of everything that has happened still fresh in his mind. After closing his eyes and keeping his head facing downward, Bruce began to mourn for those he had just killed.

"It's a war..." He said trying to convince himself.

He stood up slowly, regaining his focus. Bruce continued walking towards the main computer to continue his search for the truth.

Bruce reached the chair of the computer, remembering much more about this new system he had in development.

"Computer, manual access."

The top of the console opened up and sets of keys emerged ready to be used. Bruce sat down quickly, already beginning to type. The screen came on, showing a digital representation of Earth. Bruce studied the layout of the globe, noticing that new territories had been drawn in. Next a map of North America came on screen, showing a definite change to its territorial outline. Bruce noticed random spots of radioactive neutral zones were scattered across the world, especially in North America.

Bruce then attempted to find any biological readings that emanated from humans across the continents. He knew that if some territories were livable, some humans had be left on Earth. Bruce refused to believe otherwise. The computer showed that Earth was rather heavily populated still by humans. It estimated that roughly over three hundred and fifty million humans still called Earth home.

Whether by choice or not, he was unsure.

Bruce reapplied his cowl and lifted himself off of the seat in front of the computer. He began to march toward the BM37, fully intent on surveying the areas of the globe himself. The condition that his body was forced to endure left him unable to feel fatigue, something he was gonna have to thank Slade for after he administers the antidote.

Batman stopped in his tracks as he remembered.

"Dammit…"

When he had first awoken, he realized that the contents of his belt had been taken, along with the antidote to reverse his condition.

_"Annoying, isn't Bruce?"_

Batman stopped in place, not moving a muscle. Slade was using telepathy to transmit his thoughts. Batman knew that Slade did not show he had telepathy originally, so he must have been using a third party.

_"So many years removed from your own time, now you find that even the mercy of death is beyond your grasp. I truly know how you feel."_

"Come out from wherever you're hiding, Slade. "I'll show you how I feel", Batman spat.

Batman could hear Slade huff in amusement.

"_You have to start focusing now, Bruce. Things are not as I predicted they would be. In fact, things are far worse than I could have imagined. It appears my presence in your time did more than cause minor changes to the world that once was. Your future, my present was completely altered by those minor changes."_

"Why are the Gordanians on Earth?" Batman finally asked. "When did they invade Earth?"

_"The Gordanians appeared not long after you left, as Chancellor Prince has told you. What she failed to tell you was that it was not the Gordanians who attacked first. Shayera Hol, or Hawkgirl as you know her, identified the Gordanians as her people's mortal enemy. She warned the Justice League that the Gordanians were only interested in supremacy in any planet they set their sites on. _

_"Their first appearance was in Washington D.C. months after that night in Gotham. Tim had coordinated a stakeout in defense of a possible terrorist attack. He became quite the strategist in your absence. I guess the League needed someone who thought like you."_

"Go on", Batman said walking towards the BM37.

The BM37's top hatch was open for Batman to leap inside of. After applying the safety belt, he started up the engine as Slade continued in his head.

_"They appeared via one of their warships, causing a huge scene over the D.C. skies. The Justice League engaged them as soon as Hawkgirl identified it. The ship crash-landed inside of Arlington National Cemetery, destroying the monument on impact. The Justice League surrounded it, only to find that the crew inside had surrendered themselves in hopes of negotiating. They informed the League of the war they were at with Hawkgirl's people the Thanagarians, noting the brutal history that preceded them. The crew was an intelligence team that was sent by the Gordanians to inspect a rumor that the Thanagarians had found a way past their defenses around the Gordanian home world Kama. The way was by means of creating a hyperspace gate that would rip through a series of planets, one being Earth. _

_"Immediately following their arrival, Hawkgirl revealed her true intention for being on Earth. She was a dispatched agent sent by the Thanagarians to gather information on Earth's defenses."_

"A spy…" Batman said to himself.

_"It really wasn't as it seemed, Bruce. She was sent with the intent of gathering the information to help Earth defend itself in case the Gordanians ever attacked us. She was unaware that she was sent to gather information that would fuel an invasion by her own people. However, your fellow League members didn't see it that way. I recall only John Stewart, Wally and a few of the younger members truly believing her."_

The BM37 lifted and teleported from its platform inside the cave. It hovered in place over the holographic wooded area for a few brief moments as Batman computed the coordinates for teleportation. The first destination was over the nearest populated area: Downtown Gotham.

_"I trust that you know full well that you will be detected by the Gordanians unless cloaked", _Slade said.

Batman ignored Slade as his ship teleported over Gotham City, already cloaked. A sight that would never register in his soul for as long as he would live awaited him as he appeared in Gotham's sky. It came on screen inside the cockpit; it was in plain view as he looked out of the windshield.

Gotham, the city he has always called home.

His city.

It now lied in a soot covered ruin. Forever burned from a war that had taken place in what seemed like years ago, Batman slowly piloted his way over terrain to further survey the area. He knew what to expect when he arrived over Gotham, just by how he had found the manor.

"_A day after the Gordanians arrival", Slade continued. "The Thanagarian armada appeared in Earth's orbit The Thanagarians sent a strike squad and eliminated the Gordanian presence on Earth."_

Batman continued to fly over the skies of the devastated Gotham. Slade's words registered clearly while Batman studied the wasteland.

"_The Justice League, along with the rest of the world, was ambushed by the entire Thanagarian fleet. Shayera Hol sided with the Justice League against her people, a decision that proved to be more costly than she had realized. The Thanagarians singled her out as a traitor and hunted her relentlessly. As the Thanagarians continued their assault on Earth, the United States government unveiled what they felt was to be their best chance for victory."_

Batman stopped the BM37 over an area of land that held a special purpose for him. The area lied in ruins as charred building debris covered the area, burying the birthplace of the Batman.

Crime Alley.

"_The U.S. government created an agency that specialized in metahumans activity. They headed a program called 'The Cadmus Project'. This program was created immediately after the events of Superman falling under the control of Darkseid and turning on the planet. Their prime purpose was the study of metahumans genetics, with the hopes of cloning metahumans that could be controlled by the government. With the additional information that I had left behind for certain individuals to find, they were able to perfect the cloning of Kryptonian DNA."_

Batman broke from his looking over the spot of his parents' murder as Slade awaited a reaction.

"How many..?" Batman simply asked.

"_The Cadmus Project had seven perfect specimens, four female and three male. Each clone had aspects of both Superman and Supergirl in their genetic makeup, causing visible similarities to be quite obvious. They were trained from an early age to master their powers the way Superman had, only they had perfected several forms of combat styles. Superman was dominant with his powers alone; imagine if he was as heavily trained as you are."_

Batman always knew that Clark would have been for more powerful if he had spent the time to learn any form of fighting discipline. Adding strength of mind to his abilities would have been a deadly combination.

"_The band of Kryptonians assisted the Justice League in thwarting the Thanagarian forces, driving them off of our planet."_

Continuing his thought process, Batman was interrupted when the onboard sensors of the BM37 began to sound at an alarming rate.

"Computer...?"

An explosion occurred on the outer hull of the BM37, causing it to rock violently for a brief moment. As he manually controlled it back to being level, Batman saw that two bogeys were on a collision course with his ship.

"_I believe now would be a good time to leave…"_

Batman began to set the coordinates into the navigation system for teleportation. As he finished, beginning the process, He could see at the last moment that the bogeys were in fact two people in pursuit. Before Batman could register an even better look at his would be attackers, the BM37 teleported from Earth's skies.

* * *

"Chancellor, you must understand that those reactors are operated by civilians. Placing military personnel to operate them would put over forty thousand workers out of jobs across Mars."

Thanks mostly to her heritage, the hardest decisions came easier for Chancellor Prince than a normal human. However, over the years the concept of necessity over compassion had not fully consumed her. Yet, she knew when to be a harder person…when necessary.

"I fully understand your concern, Mr. Donaldson", She said.

In the middle of a private conference with the head of the Climate Control System Union, Chancellor Prince could feel the concern emit from Donaldson. They sat in the two chairs that rested in front of the Chancellor's desk for her visitors. She knew this conversation would be vital, and she did not want the head of the union to feel alienated by being behind her massive desk. Her office was intimidating enough.

"But please understand from my perspective, if I may?"

Donaldson nodded as Diana leaned in closer from her chair. As a man, he always had a difficult time ignoring the obvious beauty that the Chancellor possessed. And again as a man, he respected her even more that she never used those talents as an advantage.

"We have always discussed that this day would come, and unfortunately today is that day. I understand that many will lose jobs, perhaps even lose their overall ways of life. But as Chancellor, my obligation is to protect the lives of the people of Mars. Civilian life can often be more of a hindrance than needed, but it is necessary. I will not run a system where people do not have a choice to refuse military life in order to lead a life of their own. It is not human nature. But with that freedom comes the sacrifice that the life they chose to lead will be endangered during these times we live in. And that is the reason why I have chosen to place full military control over the climate control system. Those who will lose their jobs will be immediately eligible for programs to help those in need. I understand it is not the most satisfying means, but it will ensure that those who are in need of help will obtain it."

"The Atmospheric Processors still remain under the military and we know that it was a matter of time before the shield generator jobs were taken", Donaldson said with concerned eyes. "On top of that, the programs for those in need are failing in more ways than you realize."

Chancellor Prince kept a strong look as her posture refused to shift, continuing with as a compassionate voice as she could muster.

"I am well aware, but as of now I have no choice. I truly am sorry, but the lives of the people are my main priority."

The Chancellor rose from her chair, showing that she had said all that she had intended. Donaldson could not let the despair of what was to come over take him, knowing that he had other important affairs to tend to. Rising himself, he turned towards the door and exited the Chancellor's chambers.

"Well aware…" Diana said to herself as she turned to walk towards her desk.

Stopping in front of it, she laid her hands on the desk. The Chancellor was always a woman of duty, yet over the years she developed strong human compassion. Not that her Amazonian heritage denied her compassion, the inherited human compassion had it's weaknesses that made decisions harder to make.

"It's not easy, is it?"

The Chancellor turned immediately at the sound of the voice. She quickly brought up her right arm, the gauntlet hugging her forearm glowing as energy was being ready to fire. In front of the door, Batman stood in his usual posture.

"You can't just show up and…" Diana started

Mixed with the surprise of him suddenly appearing in her office, Chancellor Prince was momentarily overtaken by his menacing presence.

"I told you I would be here."

Batman burrowed into the Chancellor's eyes, trying to breach the practiced look that overtook them. She had mastered over the years the ability to hide her emotions as well as anyone else could. She remembers when Kyle proclaimed her to having the 'World's Best Poker Face'.

"I appreciate what you have done for our people", Chancellor Prince said. "But I will not submit to any type of inappropriate…"

Batman continued his advance as Diana regained her composure and brought her hand down. She scowled at him, angered that he had not only invaded her office, but made her feel second-rate.

"How dare you…" she said fiercely. "You will not barge in here after forty years of disappearance and expect your intimidation tactics to work on me."

Batman stopped a mere two feet in front of her, his glare never giving way. He knew the only way to find the truth was to rupture the political aspect of the Chancellor's personality from the person he hoped still existed. Just as he separated falsified accounts by criminals in his time, he knew the shock factor was an essential tool.

The doors of her office burst open as four well armed, heavily armored soldiers entered the room, rifles drawn. Batman quickly turned to them, staring them down. The Chancellor came from behind him, holding up her hand and motioning downward with it.

"Knights, stand down", the Chancellor said to the four. "There is no danger."

The head of the four looked at Batman, then back to the Chancellor.

"But ma'am, are you sure…"

"Do you not think I can handle myself against one individual, captain?"

The four looked at each other, lowering their weapons. Batman returned to his upright position as the four turned to exit the room, closing the door behind them. Batman could not help but notice that one of the guards' movements was far more fluid compared the others, and it was not the captain.

"I do not wish to have anyone injured unnecessarily at the present time, especially those who give their lives to protect this planet and our people."

Batman turned back to the Chancellor as she had already turned away to stare out of the massive window that was the backdrop of her office.

"I don't know if you can imagine what it's like, Bruce", she said. "Even to an immortal, time can pass by in ways that are unexpected. I remember as if it were only yesterday when we declared you dead."

Batman was even better trained at hiding his emotions than Diana ever would be.

"The Gordanians landed on Earth not long after I had disappeared", Batman said himself. "Not long after, the Thanagarians appeared. Only they had intentions of destroying Earth to save their own planet. Hawkgirl was sent to Earth as a spy, eventually showing her loyalty to the Justice League and the planet. The U.S. government had already created The Cadmus Project to study and experiment with metahuman DNA. With the data they had on Superman and Supergirl, they were able to produce seven successful Kryptonians in their labs. Those Kryptonians aided the Justice League in the defeat of the Thanagarian force."

Diana remained silent as she knew he intentionally ignored her.

"The rest is still a little cloudy to me, Chancellor."

She turned to him, her eyes showing that they were almost at the verge of giving in. Only to have them hide themselves again behind that trained look. Seeing this caused Batman to give in a little himself.

"Regardless of what had happened", he said. "This all leads back to one man being responsible."

Diana felt the hate silently grow in her gut at the thought of his name. She turned back to face Batman with a questioned look on her face.

"Slade...is alive?" she asked with a hint of surprise.

"He came from the future", Batman said. "Roughly over eighty years from now. He went into the past to seek me out and settle a personal vendetta."

"You were Batman one hundred and twenty years or so prior to his time. Why would he have a grudge against you?"

"Regardless of how, I have to find him and return to my own time, Diana", said Batman. "The changes he caused in our time just by appearing were significant enough. Who knows the damage he's caused by crossing the time stream once again. My being here has probably also changed crucial events."

"What changes were caused by Slade first appearance?" Diana asked.

Batman knew that the most efficient means of getting something you want is by giving up some sort of collateral…information for information.

"According to what I know, Slade's appearance caused many changes to the formation of the Justice League, as well as my own personal life. If Slade hadn't entered the past, Barbara would have never been paralyzed. However, Tim's life would have come as close to being destroyed as possible."

Hearing those two facts caused a subtle stir within Diana.

"The Justice League would not have formed until ten years later, as an unofficial branch of the U.S. government. There would have been no invasion to form the League; J'onn would not have come to Earth to warn us of any invasion…"

Batman paused as Diana waited for him to continue.

"You would have never left the island to come to our aid."

Diana's poker face was being tested at this very moment.

"With these strong occurrences being altered with the emergence of one man out of his own time, what would two men cause by entering an already altered future?"

One of the subjects Diana had mastered during her quest for knowledge had not been the study of time travel.

"Then there is a possibility none of this has to happen", Diana said. "But who is to say that maybe things would have been worse had you stayed? What if the changes that occurred gave us a chance rather than dooming us to annihilation?"

Recounting the story Slade told him was harder than Batman had realized. However, one of the fail-safe functions of his original suit an emergency audio recording system. With a series of pumps in a specific sequence by his right glove, a hidden microphone in his cowl records any audio.

Batman reached in one of his pouches and pulled out a microchip, offering it to Diana.

"I had a feeling that it would be easier to give you this, I don't have time to explain everything."

"What is it?" Diana asked as she reached for it.

"I formatted the information into an audio codec", Batman said handing it to her. "I'll keep in contact with you."

As Diana received the chip, Batman disappeared from the room in an instant. The surprise of his departure was non existent as she continued to look at her hand. Diana placed the chip in a small pouch on her uniform, heading straight for the door. As she opened it, one of her Knights had been standing directly in front of the door with his back to it.

"…think that guy was Batma…"

The young soldier turned around to see the Chancellor staring at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Chancellor", he said as he turned and stood to attention. "Are you…"

The newest and youngest member of her personal guard was so green that he did not fully comprehend the Chancellor's ability to take care of herself. In a way, she could sense courage in him that she had seen in so few individuals. He was the highest scoring recruit out of hundreds of thousands, but often wasn't the brightest. But he being highly recommended by Cassandra Cain herself made it hard for Diana to refuse his application to take the tests in becoming a Knight.

He passed with flying colors

"Yes…" She said slightly annoyed. "Everything is satisfactory, McGinnis."

* * *

Batman sat in the BM37 as it hovered over the Martian Capitol. After returning from infiltrating the Martian Intelligence building, he had easily installed a pirate router on the hard line of their main computer system. However hacking was something he never really focused on. He always had either Barbara or Tim deal with sort of thing. Yet, he had more than enough skill on the keyboard to finish the task.

"Computer…establish link."

The screen on the console showed that the connection sequence was underway, followed by a confirmation screen as the connection was made.

"Computer, begin tracing all…"

The screen went blank before Batman could finish speaking. Then a green screen came up, showing a white, digital outline of a woman's face. It began speaking in a digital female voice.

WARNING, ILLEGAL ACCESS HAS OCCURRED IN THE MARTIAN DATABASE. BEGINNING THE UPLOADING OF SCANNING SOFTWARE INTO PIRATE'S HOST NETWORK…

"Great…"

Before Batman could close the line, the voice sounded again.

COMPLETE.

WARNING: ALL EMERGENCY PERSONNEL REPORT TO YOUR STATIONS IMMEDIATELY, THIS IS THE ORACLE CENTRAL COMPUTER SYSTEM, ALL EMERGENCY PERSONNEL REPORT TO YOUR STATIONS IMMEDIATELY…

Batman immediately attempted to teleport the BM37 out of Mars, only to have the controls unresponsive to his commands. The central computer uploaded a virus that granted remote control of the BM37 to Martian technicians, causing it to deactivate its cloaking device. Batman could now see that his vehicle was transmitting it's coordinates for the Martian Homeland Security to find it. The computer on the BM37 already had firewalls in place, making it impossible for any infiltration into the main computer back on Earth.

He quickly unfastened his seatbelt as he could see the ships beginning to approach. Batman did not know the terrain as well as he had hoped he would. His trip to infiltrate the computer systems proved harder than he had anticipated. As the first two ships approached from outside, Batman knew exactly what he needed to do.

"You inside", came from a voice from the first ship's speakers. "We are going to remotely open your top hatch. You will be ready to be taken into custody."

The pilot of the first ship turned to his copilot, who was ready to open the top hatch and arrest the assailant. The top hatch of the Martian ship opened as did the top hatch for the BM37. However, as the hatch opened for the BM37, nothing was inside of it.

"This is car 542, home", the pilot said as the copilot stood surprised at the opened hatch. "The aircraft has been intercepted, but no one is inside… What…? A personal cloaking device..? But only those with…"

Before the pilot could finish, his partner was lifted out of the hatch completely, then dropped back inside unconscious. The pilot switched to autopilot as he retrieved his gun. He stood up at the opening of the hatch, looking around the top of his hovering ship for whoever was responsible. As he returned to his normal point of view, a dark figure stood directly in front of the morning sunshine that should have been blinding him.

"I'll be goddamned…" was the last thing the pilot said before a foot to his face knocked him out.

Batman entered just as the pilot slumped back into his chair unconscious. Sirens could be heard coming from all over New Metropolis as the radio onboard the ship shouted at the incapacitated pilot. Batman continued to try to regain remote access of the BM37, but the virus uploaded into it was too powerful for him to work around. He had no time to waste on Mars as he wanted to return to earth to track down Slade.

An object landed on the roof, violently shaking the ship. Batman prevented from losing balance as he steadied himself. Suddenly a hand punched its way through the metal ceiling, followed by another. From Batman's view, he could easily tell the hands were feminine. The hands grabbed the metal and peeled back the top of the ship. An alarm inside of the ship sounded as it began an emergency descent to ease the loss of cabin pressure.

As the ship lowered itself to a safe altitude, the two hands completely ripped the roof off of it. Batman could have teleported to the ground and sought refuge, but he needed to know exactly who, if any, the remaining members of the Justice League were.

The dark figure of a woman began to hover down, but its right hand was extended and emitting a bright purple glow.

"I was having a late breakfast before you decided to breach Oracle", the woman's voice said snidely. "Now if you would be so kind as to come quietly, I promise I won't hurt you as much as I'd…"

The woman stopped as she moved in closer. Batman knew right away who it was, the Tamaranian girl that lead Slade's young group of Metas.

Blackfire.

"Y…you?" Blackfire said as she slowly approached.

Batman stood still as two troops followed her inside, using the same rocket propulsion system installed into his boots.

"Naw, it couldn't be you", Blackfire said as her hand began to glow even more. "Now come on, I can still make it back before lunch."

Batman slowly moved towards Blackfire as the two guards behind her aimed rifles with laser sightings at him. Blackfire slowly hovered towards him with her hand still aimed at his face. Batman stopped halfway between them, causing her to stop and smirk at him.

"I guess I'll be late for lunch then…"

Blackfire began to extend her hand further, but not before Batman could duck and lunge to her right, taking her by surprise. As he was lunging, a small, metallic ball was flying at her, obviously thrown before he even ducked. It exploded in front of her face, causing a massive flash of bright light.

Blackfire quickly covered her eyes, hovering to the ground as she shouting curses. The two troops behind her were not affected by the flash, protected by the visors on their helmets. Batman stopped in front of them, bringing his right fist to the first guard's midsection, and spun to deliver his left elbow to the second's ribs. The protective lining in their uniforms are reinforced enough to withstand those blows normally, but Batman's new suit amplified his strength enough to bypass those features.

Batman stood up only to have a sensor in his cowl warn him on an energy reading behind him. He turned to see an energy projectile in time for him to drop down. The energy blast shot out through the side ship, causing it to begin an automatic emergency landing. He looked up to see Blackfire already composed after the flash grenade, both hands pointing at him.

"Alright, prick", Blackfire said as her body began to glow the same purple energy. "You want to dress up like Batman? Fine, that's going to be the last…"

Batman disappeared right before her eyes.

"…outfit you…wear…"

Blackfire looked around as her troops and both pilots were the only ones in the ship with her.  
"Well what the hell…?"

Blackfire powered down as she began to look around. The guy dressed up in the Batman costume had vanished like a ghost. Then Blackfire remembered the briefing she barely paid attention to, being forced away from a meal causes a Tamaranian not to think as clearly.

"Wait a minute…"

A puff of red dust shot out in front of her face. Blackfire was unconscious the moment she inhaled it, causing the cloaked Batman to catch her before she hit the ground.

Batman deactivated his cloaking device, and then leapt to the edge of the opening on the ship. He grabbed the torn metal with his well protected, gloved hands. Pulling himself up, he could see that the ship was completely surrounded. He took note that the ship was resting on top of a building that his cowl calculated being over forty stories from the ground.

Batman looked up to see the ships beginning to swarm around him. He knew that he had made good progress with Diana earlier, but something about her didn't feel right. He had to find another means of gathering information, and he felt infiltrating the main computer network was his best bet.

His first clue that something wasn't right was that J'onn was nowhere to be seen. Before when Batman was in her office, J'onn was no more than ten feet apart from her. It was clear to Batman that J'onn and Diana had always collaborated on every major decision made. Batman found it hard to believe that J'onn would not be present when Diana was discussing union issues with the main union representative.

"YOU TWO", a voice sounded from one of the surrounding ships. "DROP TO THE GROUND WITH YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEADS, OR YOU WILL BE SHOT DOWN."

"Two?" Batman said to himself.

"Yes Bruce, Two."

Batman quickly turned around to see the man he was looking for standing in front of him.

"Slade…" Batman nearly snarled.

Slade looked directly at him, a chuckle coming over him.

"Imagine what your old comrades must feel by looking at the both of us from up there."

Batman looked up to see the bottom hatch of one of the ships open. From that opening, two individuals leaped out. One floated down gracefully while the other landed directly on its feet onto the roof. The one that landed began to run directly at Batman and Slade, drawing a weapon. The one that floated remained in the air, following the first while emitting a green aura.

Batman then recognized the building he was standing on. From what he learned, it was called 'The Hall', where the remaining heroes of Earth would gather. From the condition the roof was in, Batman could tell this building had all but been forgotten.

"I'll excuse myself from your reunion", Slade said as he teleported from the roof.

"No!" Batman shouted as he turned around to see Slade had disappeared.

"Hold it right there!"

Batman turned around as man on the ground approached, his weapon aimed right at Batman's head. The soldier was dressed in the same uniform as the two that were on the ship with Blackfire. The one who was flying was clearly a Green Lantern.

"First you will remove that mask and place your hands behind your head", the soldier told him.

It was slightly more mature, but Batman knew the voice right away. His posture even shifted as he recognized the voice.

"Tim…?"

The soldier remained still as it reached for the helmet over his head. He removed it to show a face that had not aged any further than twenty-five years. The eyes, on the other hand, looked as though they had seen almost a hundred years of hardship. Tim stared hard at the man in the Batman costume. Knowing what that costume meant to him, Tim saw it as a personal slap to his face for anyone else to use it. But the person behind the mask knew his name. After the incident over Martian airspace the day before, Tim was convinced that his mentor had returned in some form or another.

Tim Drake smiled.

"You know", Tim began. "Leave it to you to make an entrance that would rub people the wrong way. You should hear how much Blackfire is screaming in my ear right now."

Batman eased up a bit as Tim lowered his rifle. The Green Lantern never did raise his ring at all, causing Batman to wonder a bit.

"I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't say anything", Tim continued. "Then I'd probably have to actually load this thing, and you know how much I hate guns."

Batman watched as Tim motioned for the Green Lantern to come forward.

"You sure this is who he was talking about?" GL said.

"Positive, Kyle", Tim said.

Batman noticed that Tim did not look a day over twenty-five. The Green Lantern, or Kyle Rainer as Batman remembered, was youthful as well. Batman knew that Slade had developed a less powerful version of the drug that was injected into his body. What he did not know was that his own people may have had access to it.

"Why haven't you aged?" Batman asked.

Tim and Kyle looked at each other, then back to Batman.

"Why would we when we could avoid it?" Kyle shrugged.

Batman knew he was being set up. He readied himself for attack, not knowing what to expect from these two. One was Tim Drake, the boy he partially raised over forty years ago and the other was a Green Lantern. Both have had plenty of time to turn the other leaf.

"Bruce, what are you doing?" Tim said as he slowly approached.

Batman couldn't afford to be taken down here. He lunged at them, only to have everything go to a stand still. Batman stopped in his tracks as he noticed that everything around him paused in the middle of existence. The ships hovering stopped in place, the clouds had stopped their circulation, and even a few of the birds that flew by were frozen in time.

Everything and everyone halted, except Kyle, Tim and himself.

"Bruce", Tim said. "There are a few of us who have been waiting for this day."

A glow of bright yellow light began to shine behind Batman. He turned quickly, knowing full well who was capable of an entrance like this.

"Fate…" Batman said turning around.

It was not Dr. Fate, the sorcerer he remembers from his time. But rather another individual that he has yet laid eyes on. The golden aura around him lit up the still landscape as Batman looked on. Tim and Kyle smirked knowing that the day they had been waiting for had finally arrived.

Batman looked back at Tim and Kyle as they approached him, then back to the stranger.

"Who are you…?" Batman said address all of them.

"Hello, Batman", the golden figure said as it approached. "I am called Waverider. We are the Linear Men and are in need of your assistance."


	4. Everywhere and Nowhere

(AN) No fluke updates here, buddy!

Don't own anything

Chapter 4: Everywhere and Nowhere

"Linear Men..?"

Batman was currently surrounded by Tim Drake, The Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, and a mysterious being known as Waverider. Time had halted completely in place as he stood on the roof of The Hall. The Martian military in pursuit had been frozen as well, only he and the Linear Men stayed in motion.

"Yeah, Bruce", Tim said as he walked up to him. "We've been expecting you."

Batman took notice of how much Tim had grown. He was easily Batman's height, if not a little taller. He seemed to be in perfect health, a luxury a certain serum is known to accommodate. Kyle Rayner seemed about the same as Batman could remember. Although Batman only had file pictures of Kyle to go by, never having worked with him first hand. Batman still wondered where his ring was as he is obviously able to manipulate the energy of the Green Lanterns. Batman then turned his attention back to the newest face as it spoke once again.

"We are guardians of the timestream", Waverider said with his soft, confident voice. "We serve primarily as watchers, but we will intervene when necessary. As you can see necessity calls."

"When necessary…" Batman said almost mockingly. "Then is it necessary to get me back to my time?"

Waverider stood still as Batman looked him over thoroughly.

"Not at this moment, I'm afraid", Waverider said to an even more frustrated Batman.

Batman looked from Waverider back to Tim with a questioning look on his face.

"When did you become apart of this..?" Batman said while glaring at Tim. "I thought you were a high ranking official in the Martian military?"

Tim sighed, knowing that Batman was not one to practice patience when gathering information came about.

"We must return to the Vanishing Point", Waverider said regaining Batman's attention. "Only there can we make any sense of this to Batman. Kyle, go and retrieve him."

"I'm on it…" Kyle said as he disappeared, leaving behind green energy particles.

Batman did not remember John or any other Green Lantern having that ability, nor did he know exactly who Kyle was going to retrieve. He scowled, not knowing what to believe at this point. Had he been a weaker person, everything that had been on his mind, his soul would have dropped him to his knees right then and there. He was years from his own time, his home. Now he stands in the presence of what are 'guardians of the timestream', one member being his protégé from years ago.

With the events he has witnessed first hand, Batman began to wonder if in fact they are in fact who they said they were. However, he also knew that if anyone would be on his side, it would be those who have caused time to stand still.

"Alright then", Batman finally said. "I'll go with you."

Waverider extended his hand as energy in the from of different colored wave patterns emitted from it. This caused a portal to open in front of the three standing in the stillness of reality. Batman felt a hand on his shoulder as the portal emitted a golden white light in the center.

"Bruce, we have a lot of work to do", Tim said. "And it goes beyond fixing the changes caused after you first disappeared."

Batman did not bother to look back at him as he walked towards the portal. The three of them entered and appeared in what looked like the middle of a gymnasium without any walls, only corner pillars. The space between the pillars were elevated from the center of the court where they stood, with large, surrounding steps surrounding them Batman noticed that where he stood was far from any space or time he had ever seen. The depths of space had a distinct color to them, those that were not lit by the near lights of neighboring star systems.

The space was a light, crimson color. Batman knew that this was not his universe.

"Batman", Waverider said as he walked to one of the openings leading to nowhere. "Welcome to the Vanishing Point. Here sits the neutral point of the timestream, a place where time itself does not exist. The Linear Men have taken the oath of guarding the timestream with a valor that must not yield. From here, we monitor the years as they are played out from the beginning to the end."

"So what is the purpose of me being here?" Batman asked. "If you hold all of the keys to every door to the timestream, why not solve these problems yourselves?"

"It is far more complicated that you realize", Waverider said. "If you will follow me…"

Waverider motioned to Batman to follow him in walking the borders of his lookout post. Batman followed as Tim kept pace as well. They reached the steps leading to the openings, Batman noticing a walkway surrounding the massive structure.

"You see, Batman", Waverider began. "Time is not the one-way journey as so many believe it to be. True for those who live a mortal life, the time within themselves is limited. But time is much like a piece of string, with a physical beginning and an ending. A string does not exist from one point, then moves on to the next point leaving the previous space unoccupied. The string is a solid mass from beginning to end, the traveled and the yet to be traveled open to be explored.

"Time follows these same guidelines, Batman. There are an infinite number of dates that are referred to as 'the present' from where we stand. The main purpose of time is to house the entity we call existence. Through circumstance, we Linear Men are the select few who are granted the task of keeping integrity of the timestream."

The three walked the path that surrounded the lookout, only Waverider's voice breaking the boundaries of silence.

"Why you are here is because we need your help", Waverider continued. "The man you call Slade has been committing atrocities across the timestream, and his quest is the ultimate elimination of the two men he hates the most, you…and himself."

Batman continued to walk as Waverider explained everything. Batman chose not to interrupt as the information he sought may soon become irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

"His obsession with you has stretched from his time all the way back to your own", Waverider said. "Through the changes he has made to himself as he grew into the man he is, Slade has become one of few documented mortals to have obtained immortality. Slade has allowed his body to grow into its immortal state as the serum he created matured into his body. This has allowed him to obtain some of the most vital secrets that existence holds.

"However, if you can bear with the analogy, Slade is still mentally in the infant stage of immortality. Between the ages of three hundred and two thousand years, the mind of a lonely immortal experiences a sense of panic and a modified version of a 'midlife crisis'. It is not until sometime after the second millennia of life were an immortal living on its own finally becomes comfortable with its own existence."

"And what year is Slade currently in?" Batman finally asked.

"He is currently in year one thousand two hundred and fifty-three", Waverider answered.

Batman stopped the comfortable walk he was taking with Tim and Waverider abruptly, the two Linear Men following suit.

"That's impossible…" Batman blurted out.

"Nothing is impossible when you command the timestream as he does", Waverider said. "Slade did not explain everything to you. He had been alive over eight hundred years before he abducted you. After taking you from your time, he immediately inserted you into the time you had awakened in. Slade began the next phase of his journey through the timestream, to gain the knowledge which he had chosen to seek. His previous purpose had been to insert you into the devastated future that would have been, hoping to persuade you into willingly becoming as he is."

Waverider resumed the walk as Batman and Tim followed."

"Slade already exposed me to the serum", Batman started. "That would already make me what he is, so what's the point of trying to get me to go where I am?"

"Because Slade has become a lost soul, Batman", Waverider said. "He calculated the possible symptoms his own psyche would face had he spent the years of immortality alone. He wanted someone as an ally to walk the earth with him, perhaps even more."

Batman remained silent.

"Slade has grown to accept that you would never abandon the life you know", Waverider continued. "Because of this, he feels that to simply kill you is not enough. Slade is beyond the reaches of death, now. His only end will come at the hands of the destructive entropy that awaits the end of time. He will do as much damage to existence itself before his final act of your death comes about."

"Couldn't he just administer the antidote to reverse his condition?" Batman asked. "Why wait for the end of time?"

"No", Waverider answered. "After an extensive amount of time, the immortal body matures to a physical state where nothing can reverse its condition."

Batman felt his stomach turn.

"You are not in danger of such a fate, Batman", Waverider added. "The perfection of his serum was only realized in the original stage. When Slade infected you with it, it was a diluted dosage. You will return to normal once it has reached its course."

"How long is that?"

"From what I can estimate, the serum will reach its final stage in approximately three hundred and fifty years."

Batman walked silently behind Waverider as Tim kept a listening ear. They had almost completed a lap around the lookout, but continued as Waverider gave Batman all of the details.

"But I am well aware of your predicament, Batman", Waverider said. "The antidote will still have its effects on your body, and you are free to use it whenever you wish."

Waverider reached into a small pouch on his belt, pulling out a small vile. The three stopped in the middle of the path as Waverider turned to Batman.

"I only ask for your help in return", Waverider said holding out the vile.

Batman paused as Waverider held out his palm with the vile resting on it.

"How did you get this?" Batman asked reaching for it.

"Slade was not the one to relieve you of this, Batman", Waverider said giving Batman the vile. "Had you taken this before our paths were to cross, you would not have helped the people on Mars. There were things that would have shunned you away had you been vulnerable once again."

Batman looked at the vile as he took it into his hand, then back to Waverider.

"That would have prevented me taking the lives of thousands of Gordanians", Batman roughly said.

"You are sorely mistaken", Waverider said. "The Gordanians are far more resourceful than you realize. Those on board were transported off of the ship before detonation. You did not take the lives of thousands Gordanians, you saved the lives of millions of humans."

The heavy heart that Batman carried the moment he exited the Gordanian vessel began to fade away. The thought of so many deaths at his hands was almost too much to bear, so the guilt was something that no longer would hinder his progress.

Batman looked at the vile again, now storing away in a compartment on his belt.

"I'll use this when I'm done", Batman said. "What do you need from me?"

Tim couldn't help but smile as Waverider showed a hint of gratification as well.

"Slade did not tell you everything he is responsible for, he has done more than travel the timestream, Bruce", Waverider began again. "Through his travels, he has learned how to cross realities as well as times. The incident that the Justice League faced against the Justice Lords is an example of how realities can mesh without consequence. What Slade has successfully mastered was the blending of separate realities into the one. The changes that occurred in your time were not merits of chance. They are the results of Slade's tampering.. Barbara Gordon in one reality remains as she is, unharmed. However, in this same reality Tim Drake was nearly destroyed at the hands of The Joker. That should have been your reality, but Slade's interference changed so much.

"The young heroes that have come under the wings of the Justice League are another example. Cyborg, Raven, Quake, Beast Boy, Blackfire and Starfire are all from another reality. However, they were in a team lead by the Robin of that reality, except for Quake and Blackfire who were on their own. Slade had abducted the young metas, taking away any memory they had of their world. He brought them to our reality for Ra's Al Ghul to find and enslave. Just as he did with Static and his partner Gear, though they were kidnapped from our own reality years prior. Static and Gear would have become heroes in Dakota City if Slade had not taken them for his own purposes.

"One other person was taken from her reality, and that is Cassandra Cain. She comes from a reality that has seen so much hardship that it's a surprise it was not destroyed much sooner"

Batman nearly grinded his teeth as he heard that.

"The events that were to happen in the near future of your reality were far different as well. The Thanagarians would have temporarily seized control of the planet, not the Gordanians. With the combined effort of the League, they would have been eventually thwarted."

Waverider kept Batman's interest throughout his entire recount of events. Tim was actually surprised Batman managed to live through it without questioning anything.

"What you are here for is to help us stop Slade and restore the realities as best as we can", Waverider said.

Batman looked at Waverider with a slightly puzzled look. From what Batman understood, Waverider seemed far more than capable of handling Slade. And since Tim Drake and Kyle Rayner are Waverider's allies, Batman knew there was more about Slade that he has yet to realize.

"What are their stories?" Batman asked about Tim and Kyle.

"Their stories are as similar as mine", Waverider said. "As vital and unique the timestream is, it is not without its counterparts. Realities carry their own timestreams; Kyle and Tim belong to separate ones themselves.

"Tim comes from the reality where Slade abducted the five young metas. In that reality, the original Robin lost hope of finding his lost comrades and left to pursue his quest under a new persona. Tim Drake was chosen by you as the next person to become Robin. His heroism was unmatched, and soon after your untimely death, he took over for you as the Batman. But his reign in being the Dark Knight was short lived as he crossed paths with his era's Linear Men. With no family and an heir to the mantle of the bat in place, Tim took his place with the Linear Men. He became timeless as they did, that is until Slade conquered his reality."

The three began to walk again as Batman spoke up.

"Conquered his reality?" Batman asked.

"Kyle comes from a reality where its history is riddled with timestream manipulation and abuse, the very reality where Cassandra Cain originated. His reality had already undergone two significant alterations, the first threatening all of the realities and the second that changed the entire landscape of his reality. The second was caused by an individual who wore the title as a Green Lantern, Hal Jordan. After hunting down every Green Lantern in his universe, he obtained the powers of the Green Lanterns by absorbing the energy source of their might into himself. He became the being Parallax, the living embodiment of the power of the Green Lantern Corps.

"Kyle was given the last Green Lantern ring from the last living Guardian that had not fallen to Parallax. After Hal Jordan sacrificed himself to save Earth from the sun's collapse, Kyle found himself as the lone Green Lantern in existence. Not long after, the coming of Slade caused Kyle to become the last surviving member of that reality's Justice League. The threat of Slade was detected by the Linear Men, my counterpart in particular. Slade had discovered the power that helped begin the first crisis Kyle's reality had to face, the ability to wield antimatter. Thus, they recruited Kyle into their fold to help prevent Slade from destroying his reality."

"Antimatter…" Batman said to himself.

"Before Slade could destroy Kyle's reality, the Linear Men attempted one final assault on Slade. They were easily defeated, only a broken Kyle only remaining. Slade left him to die in the devastated streets of Metropolis as he began the destruction of that reality. Kyle managed to use his ring to temporarily mend his wounds as he pursued Slade into a dimensional opening leading into the reality of this Tim Drake.

"Tim noticed from the Vanishing Point in his reality that Slade had returned with the destructive ability that he newly possessed. His Linear Men held a more formidable chance against Slade than any other reality. Kyle entered this reality knowing full well that somewhere Slade was going to attempt the destruction of it. However, Kyle knew that in his current state he did not stand a chance against the power Slade possessed. Kyle ventured into the depths of space as his ring led him to where that reality's Oa resided. As he approached the planet, he found that Oa had been abandoned, leaving the energy of the Green Lantern Corps flowing freely for the taking.

"Knowing how powerful that Hal Jordan had become after absorbing the central power of the Green Lantern Corps, Kyle felt his only chance lied in trying to become what Hal Jordan had become. Kyle Rayner successfully absorbed the power from its source, just as he had hoped. More powerful than he could ever imagine, Kyle returned to the Earth that was now under attack by Slade, finding that the Linear Men were on the threshold of defeat. Kyle intervened, only saving the life of Tim Drake. He saw that Slade had begun the process of destroying that reality as well, leaving Kyle the only option of escaping into another dimension. He escaped with Tim Drake into our reality, with only me detecting their presence."

Batman could not help but to look at the skies of the Vanishing Point. It was almost similar to looking at the skies of Earth at night despite being a crimson color, only the stars reminding Batman of home. However, Batman did not linger on the wonderful view as Waverider continued his astonishing story. Focus is one of the traits Batman prided himself on.

"They came directly to this Vanishing Point with warnings of the danger of Slade", Waverider said. "What they didn't know was that it was this reality that spawned him, perhaps why he has yet to destroy this one along with the other two realities. We have been preparing for this day for sometime. The timeline of this reality is in danger of erasing itself if Slade is to tamper with it anymore. He has ceased his activities in this reality for sometime now, but the outcomes of his tampering are noticeable. What he has planned for this timestream is uncertain, but what is known is that you are involved somehow."

"And what do we do now?" Batman asked.

"When Kyle returns, we will reinsert you back into the timestream where we first made contact with you", Waverider said. "We cannot let Slade know that you are aware of his actions. You must continue as you had in your pursuit to find a way home, I suggest you keep contact with your former League members as much as possible. Diana will be suspicious of you, but she would never doubt you no matter what reality. Keep on the path you set when you first arrived to Mars."

"What about Earth?" Batman asked. "It's in ruins, what can we…"

"Unfortunately, that is irrelevant", Waverider said. "If we succeed, Earth will not be in the peril it is right now."

"What about the future that Slade is from?" Batman asked again. "It's the natural future, how can that be prevented?"

"Knowledge is power, Batman. Knowledge is power…"

Batman took a moment to digest everything that he has heard. Being in the center of a trans-dimensional crisis was not one of the things he trained for during his years honing his skills. His time with the Justice League has shown that his skills are suited for off-world conflicts as they are suited for the streets of Gotham.

"Batman", Tim said coming from his side. "Where I come from, you meant a lot to that world. I imagine it to be no different here in this reality. This is a big situation, bigger than any situation you trained me for. But it's not an impossible one to face."

Batman turned to look Tim in the eye, a serious look plastered across his face.

"If I know myself, then you forgot an important rule I live by: Nothing is impossible."

Tim knew Batman well indeed, which is why he didn't correct him when Batman believed Slade's abilities to be impossible.

"I know", Tim said turning away with a smirk.

A green flash appeared behind them as Kyle rematerialized.

"Well, I got him here", Kyle said visibly sore.

Kyle got closer to the three as his injuries to his face became more apparent. Waverider remained silent as he knew what had happened, Tim nearly laughing for the same reason.

"What the happened to you?" Batman asked him.

"Uh…" Kyle blurted with a forced grin on his face. "I might as well apologize now…"

* * *

Batman came through the opening Waverider made for him. He had to return to his spot before two Martian soldiers approached him. It was vital that he appeared in the very spot he left in. His teleportation device leaves a signature for proper instruments to detect, but he was taken by other means. Batman vanishing without the aid of a teleporter would cause the Martian military to suspect more than they should

Slade would suspect outside interference.

Batman saw that the roof of The Hall was just as he left it, meaning that his ship was still down somewhere. It did not matter to him anymore, though. From what Waverider tells him, any information he can gain on Mars is irrelevant compared to the events that were brought to his attention. What mattered was that he continued the act of pursuing his information to allow Slade the comfort in believing that all is going according to his plans.

"I'm in position", Batman said in front of the two soldiers that are taking the place of Tim and Kyle.

Batman readied himself as time returned to motion. The engines roaring from the hovercrafts over head, the shouts from the loudspeakers, and the bewildered mutters coming from the two men aiming rifles at him as time continued.

"S…stay where you are!" the confused soldier said as he remembered an implanted memory of being on the roof the entire time. "You will come quietly or be fired on, you don't have a choice!"

Batman could not help but to laugh in his head. This soldier has probably only seen four years of active duty. Nothing compared to the twenty years Batman had spent perfecting himself in every way possible.

"There's always a choice, son", Batman muttered said. "Just like you have a choice. Either let me go, or come after me."

"I'll do that myself."

Batman turned to the voice that stood behind him.

"How dare you attack my people and expect to get away with it?" Diana said quickly reaching for his throat.

She lifted Batman off of his feet as she began to squeeze at the reinforced materials that covered his neck. Her intense face became frustrated as Batman's face did not change from the calm look he always carried. She found out that his suit made it difficult for her to squeeze without the intent to kill.

"Because…" Batman said. "I know something you don't know."


End file.
